Help me create supper with chops!

[Angie]

I've hardly ever made chops before so I need some guidance!

I have:
Two butterfly chops, about 1/2" - 3/4" thick.
Shallots
Gold taters
Stuffing mix
Uncle Ben's wild rice
Onions
White rice
Instant taters

Can I make some tender chops with any of these ingredients?

 

[pacanis]

I've made tender chops without using anything but salt and pepper..... It's all in how you cook them IMO.
What kind of chops do you have? I'm sure someone will come up with a recipe using all those great sounding ingredients. But whether or not they are tender is up to you

 

[JMediger]

I can't make juicy chops to save my life! I really like adding rice and stuff to help me ...

My husband browns chops, adds a can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of milk, 2 cans of water and 1 cup of rice. Simmer. When the rice is tender, it's ready. (we do the same thing with chicken breast and hamburgers and with the healthy cream of mushroom soup, the calories aren't bad). When I was a kid, my mom would brown chops, add a can of chopped tomatoes, a half can of water and a box of spanish rice with seasoning and cook till done - yum!

You could do something similar with your Uncle Bens ... brown your chops and then make the rice according to the package directions but do it in the pan with the chops. I would brown some of the shallots in the pan with the chops and then do the rice. OR you could do the same thing with the stuffing ... brown your chops, add your stuffing and water then cover and bake until the chops are done.

Now I'm hungry for chops!

 

[Alix]

Brine them for about an hour before hand. That ensures a really juicy tender chop.

 

[GotGarlic]

If these are pork chops, 20 minutes is way too long - they will be overcooked, dry and tough. Cooking pork chops is much like cooking lean steak - 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, is all they need. Then you can make a pan sauce with the fond if you want. I like mashed or baked or twice-baked potatoes with pork chops. Applesauce is great with pork. A green salad or green beans would be a good side.

For Friday's dinner, I broiled bone-in pork chops for about 9 minutes total and served with BBQ sauce if desired, twice-baked potatoes and Italian-style green beans. Everyone really liked it and the chops were juicy. HTH.

 

[buckytom]

angie, i'm not sure what you mean by a butterfly chop. (i really hope the butterflies aren't that big in iowa ).

is it a boneless pork chop, sliced so it's double the size?

if so, the quickest and easiest thing to do to keep them moist and tender is bread and bake them.

preheat your oven to 400.

simply make some seasoned breadcrumbs (dried parsley, basil, oregano, paprika, garlic and onion powder, s&p) then wash the chops, let excess water drip off then toss in a bag with the breadcrumbs.

spray a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, or rub with oil, and place the breaded chops in without cramming them. use more than 1 dish if needed. spray the tops of the chops with a little more cooking spray, and bake the chops for 20 minutes (or longer, depending on the thickness).

serve with apple sauce and a side of rice, stuffing, or toss quartered spuds in minced shallots and oil and roast along with the chops. put the spuds in first 'cause they'll take longer.

 

[AMSeccia]

I took a grilling course once where they brined boneless chops with salt and brown sugar ... strange combo, but boy were they juicy and tasty after they were simply grilled with nothing more than S&P.

I know it's too late to help with your Sunday dinner, so I'll just say I hope whatever you came up with was to your liking.

 

[Angie]

angie, i'm not sure what you mean by a butterfly chop. (i really hope the butterflies aren't that big in iowa ).

is it a boneless pork chop, sliced so it's double the size?

if so, the quickest and easiest thing to do to keep them moist and tender is bread and bake them.

preheat your oven to 400.

simply make some seasoned breadcrumbs (dried parsley, basil, oregano, paprika, garlic and onion powder, s&p) then wash the chops, let excess water drip off then toss in a bag with the breadcrumbs.

spray a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, or rub with oil, and place the breaded chops in without cramming them. use more than 1 dish if needed. spray the tops of the chops with a little more cooking spray, and bake the chops for 20 minutes (or longer, depending on the thickness).

serve with apple sauce and a side of rice, stuffing, or toss quartered spuds in minced shallots and oil and roast along with the chops. put the spuds in first 'cause they'll take longer.

It's a boneless centercut chop that was butterflied.

I've seem some big moths with a big set of chops on them, but not any butterflies!

 

[ChefJune]

imho what makes chops dry is overcooking. Brining them is an option, but one I have never used. I like to rub some saltless seasonings on my chops and let them sit for a couple of hours. (Salt applied too soon pulls moisture out of meat.) Then, I wipe the excess moisture off them. I heat the oven to 350 degrees and get a sauté pan very hot. While this is happening, season the chops with salt and pepper to your taste.

Drop a bit of olive oil into the pan and sear the chops on both sides for about 3 minutes each. Add a bit of wine or dry vermouth to the pan and slide it into the hot oven for an additional 4 minutes. Yes, only 4.

If you're fuzzy about the temp, insert the probe of a digital thermometer before you put the chops into the oven. The alarm will sound when the desired doneness is reached.

Remove the chops to a warmed plate on which you have set an upside down saucer. Angle the chops against the saucer so the narrow end is up. Make a foil tent over them for while you make a sauce in the pan. A little more wine (or water even) will help you scrape up the brown bits in the pan, and then a tablespoon of butter will give you a silky finish, just like in a restaurant!